8-year-old girl found dead in Irvington

IRVINGTON — An 8-year-old girl was found dead in her Irvington home this afternoon, and her mother was charged tonight with child endangerment, authorities said.

Officers responding to reports of a child not breathing found the girl, whose identity was not released, inside the Chancellor Avenue home around 4:30 p.m., said Anthony Ambrose, chief of detectives at the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office. The girl was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy will be conducted to determine how the child died, Ambrose said.

The girl’s mother, whose identity was not released, was arrested shortly after being questioned by investigators. Ambrose said it is unclear whether the woman played a role in her daughter’s death.

Two other children in the home were placed in the custody of the state Division of Youth and Family Services, Ambrose said.